AT&T has recovered from its longstanding problems in New York thanks to a speedy, comprehensive new LTE network. The new network has helped AT&T's 3G performance as well, by taking strain off of the older HSPA network. As we've seen elsewhere, AT&T's higher speeds outweighed Verizon's greater reliability in New York. Sprint is bouncing back from truly awful performance the past few years, but needs a bit more citywide coverage before its 4G LTE network can be considered a solid bet.

We hit Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens in our 11 New York tests. Manhattan's extreme density and skyscrapers create problems for every network, so we saw faster speeds in other boroughs. As with last year, we got stellar speeds in Astoria, Queens on the border with Long Island City; AT&T and Verizon both put in fine performances. Sprint and T-Mobile did their best in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

PCMag.com's lead mobile analyst, Sascha Segan, has reviewed hundreds of smartphones, tablets and other gadgets in more than 9 years with PCMag. He's the head of our Fastest Mobile Networks project, one of the hosts of the daily PCMag Live Web show and speaks frequently in mass media on cell-phone-related issues. His commentary has appeared on ABC, the BBC, the CBC, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, and in newspapers from San Antonio, Texas to Edmonton, Alberta.
Segan is also a multiple award-winning travel writer, having contributed...
More »